How to Choose a Portable DVD Player?
Today we are no longer overwhelmed by the incredible delight and surprise of the portability of new devices entering the market with enviable regularity. Their dimensions and power consumption have dropped to incredible levels. Nowadays, devices of this kind, emphasizing the image of the owner, play the role of fashion accessories.
You must immediately come to terms with the fact that portable dvd player many times more expensive than their stationary "brothers". If this is not very scary, and you still want to become the owner of this device, we will try to help you choose what you really need.
Perhaps, one should start with the characteristics that require attention when choosing a particular model of a portable player.
Screen.
One of the main parameters of a device of this kind is the separation capacity and size of the PK-screen.
The larger the screen size, the more comfortable it will be to watch videos, but because of this, the size of the entire player increases, as well as increases power consumption, which, in turn, leads to an accelerated discharge of its battery. Having systematized the results of feedback from people already using portable DVD players, we came to the conclusion that a 7-8 inch screen is completely sufficient for viewing photos and films. And for those who are not enough, manufacturers offer 9, 10 and 12 inch models.
The image quality is in direct proportion to the resolution of the matrix. The higher its resolution, the clearer the picture on the screen. For example, for an 8-inch screen, the predominant indicator is 800x480, but sometimes it is less, which, of course, will lead to a deterioration in the image quality.
An important function is the debugging of the number of shades of gray, which allows you to adjust the contrast of the picture. The brightness of the display makes it possible to use the device even in sunny weather. Although not a single portable DVD player is able to cope with this task entirely.
The horizontal and vertical viewing angles are also important, in the case when a film or photo is viewed by several people.
When you go shopping, be sure to take a good quality movie disc with you. Thanks to this, it is possible to compare the image quality of screens of various models, the parameters of which are not always available in catalogs and price lists. When doing this, be sure to appreciate the screen's visibility and graininess.
Sound.
Most portable DVD players are equipped with built-in speakers, which, of course, hardly reproduce the three-dimensional picture that is happening on the screen.
When buying a turntable, it is important to assess not only the sound quality, but also its maximum volume. On these portable devices, even with average ambient noise levels (for example, in a train car), the volume is not enough.
For these reasons, many users use headphones. The ones that come with the players do not differ in good performance in terms of the quality of the reproduced sound, but they are more than enough for watching movies. If you consider yourself to be among the music lovers, most likely, you will have a chance to purchase more “advanced” headphones. Some portable players have two headphone outputs, which in some cases comes in handy.
If you connect such a player, for example, to home acoustics, the sound quality, of course, will not be comparable to top-end stationary devices. And although the sound in almost all models is perfectly balanced in frequency, there will be distortion at the edges of the ranges. Fans of action movies and rock music can only hope for more or less high-quality bass. Only more expensive models will feel confident in the quality of music players.
In addition, the player can be connected not only to a home system, but also to car acoustics, of course, if the car radio has an appropriate input (or if there is an FM transmitter in the player).
Supported formats.
The standard modern DVD player model will support formats such as DVD / VCD / CD / CD-R / CD-RW / MP3 / JPEG.
Also a positive option is the ability to read formats - Mpeg4 / DІVX, since films in these formats are very common today.
If you listen to our advice and take a disc with you to test the player, you can do another little test. Almost all portable devices read DVD format equally well, but when watching movies recorded in Mpeg4 / DIVX formats, rewinding may not work. Of course, this is very inconvenient, especially if you did not have enough time to watch the movie to its end or the battery power suddenly ran out. Next time you have to look all over again.
Food.
All models of portable DVD-players are intended for both stationary and "mobile" use, therefore they must have a network (often car) adapter in their kit. If we talk about the time performance of the device from the battery, then the range of discrepancies is very wide - from the minimum operating time for 3 hours to the maximum, reaching 15-18 hours. This time will be quite enough to take your free time, for example, on the way to work.
Inputs / outputs.
Like all modern technology, the DVD player has many connectors.
Audio connectors.
The most common in our time is coaxial RCA (in common parlance - "tulip"). If you want to connect the player to a TV, then you will need two such connectors (L / R, as a rule, white and red) to transmit a stereo signal. To connect to active 5.1 speakers, three RCA connectors are required: the first for the front speakers (FR / FL), the second for the rear (SR / SL) and the third for the subwoofer (CNT / SW). The digital audio signal transmission is performed via a coaxial connection (S / PDI, as a rule, is black) and an optical cable connection (TosLink). They are used to transfer from a DVD player a digital stream of multichannel sound that is recorded in Dolby Digital or DTS (that is, so that you can connect the player to a home system, for example, to a receiver).
There must be a mini-jack (3.5) headphone jack, as mentioned above, in some models there can be two of them.
Video connectors.
To connect the device in question to a TV, composite RCA is used, which is equipped with all TV models (the connector is yellow marked).
And, of course, the well-known USB will make it possible for all of us to connect a great variety of external devices, first of all, a USB drive. And a slot for memory cards eliminates the need to connect a connecting cable to the camera to view the photos just taken.
In the case of purchasing a portable DVD player for your car, an option such as an FM transmitter will be of great benefit. It makes it possible to connect the player to a car radio that is tuned to a certain frequency without using connecting wires.
Control.
In management, almost all models allow you to do without remotes, as they are equipped with multifunctional keys and joysticks, with which access to frequently used functions does not take much time.
In addition, when using the keys on the road, their backlight will be useful, making the control comfortable in low light conditions.
When using a portable DVD player at home connected to a TV, you cannot do without a remote control, at least it will be inconvenient.A characteristic feature of the remote controls in all such players is their small size, and, as a result, poor ergonomics. Small and very tightly spaced buttons can be tricky to get used to.
Design.
Of course, each model of DVD player has its own design features. For example, it is very convenient to be able not only to change the angle of the monitor, but also to rotate it. There are non-standard designs, made in the form of a "slider" or generally made in a complete body.
The material of the case does not matter when choosing, so we will not specifically discuss this issue. It should only be noted that the case, made of metal, looks stylish, but, accordingly, such a player weighs much more. The rubberized case lies comfortably in the hands, but the plastic case is light and, of course, fragile.
Equipment.
Almost all portable DVD players come standard with car and AC adapters, headphones, audio / video cable, battery, remote control and carrying case. In some cases, the kit includes such convenient things as a car seat headrest mount and an accessory bag.
Additional options.
These include a built-in FM / TV tuner so you can watch TV and listen to the radio wherever you go. Another nice little thing that can amuse gamers is that some models of portable devices are equipped with game joysticks and have built-in games that will not let you get bored.
So that you can completely decide on the choice, the first step is to decide how and where you plan to use it. This is a necessity, since these or those parameters depend on this. It is clear that sound and picture quality will always be at the top of the list of criteria. But with the same multimedia qualities and the equal cost of two different portable devices, you will inevitably begin to pay attention to other parameters.
Are you planning to take him with you on vacation? In this case, compactness and battery life take the first place when choosing. The presence of a slot for memory cards becomes important.
If you want to watch video in the car on the way to work and home, then these criteria become less important. An option such as an FM transmitter looks much more interesting for an automotive application (we talked about it above).
When using a portable DVD player not only on the road or on vacation, but also at home as a stationary one, it becomes important to output sound to a 5.1 system (if it is not there now, then it is likely to be purchased in the future). Even if there are not many of them, there is a certain group of people who are very interested in such a function.
As you can see, there are enough specific features when choosing in order to get a little confused the first time, trying to understand which of the models on the market is best for you. But with an understanding of what you really want to get when buying a portable device of this kind, the choice will become more obvious.
Brand representatives who have already proven themselves positively, of course, have every right to be considered first, but this option should not be given an uncompromising status.
In custody we want to say that, having decided on the choice portable dvd player, you can purchase it on our website at a bargain price.
